I saw the insinuation you're referring to and agree that it was pretty egregious. More so even when the poster of the accusation thought nothing was wrong.
However, I think you might be overplaying the lack of similarities in reactions just a bit. If he had flat out said "He was brought in because he was black", I believe he would've gotten far more negative reactions. He beat around the bush a bit so to speak, so it didn't sound quite so up front. The majority of posters here never saw it though, and seeing your comment was likely pretty shocking when no context was given as to why it was made. Unfortunately, you also have to factor in the clout of the person who made the statement.
Please keep in mind I'm siding with you here, just saying the two statements made aren't exactly the same, therefore the reactions aren't the same.